Few guesses as to who HSBC's "mystery" highest earning individual could be. The bank, which published its year-end results this morning, said that its highest earner made between £10m and £10.1m in overall compensation and benefits emoluments

The bank does not name its highest paid staff in its annual results, as a matter of course. But it does reveal the salary bands of the five best paid in its ranks.

So again step forward Stuart Gulliver, who a year ago was one of several HSBC top executives to waive their bonuses for 2008. According to the annual results, he earned a £9m (€9.9m) performance-related bonus this time around. This is on top of his £800,000 annual salary and comes after profits at his global banking and markets unit trebled in 2009.

He also gets a further £240,000 in pension benefits.

In contrast, the next best staffer received just £9.3m to £9.4m - which was less than Gulliver's basic-plus-bonus.

Gulliver runs global banking and markets and asset management - in addition to private banking and insurance and a role as HSBC's chairman for Europe and the Middle East and global businesses, roles added to his watch last month.

The £9m award, which consists wholly of restricted shares that vest over three years, was the largest doled out to HSBC directors and more than double the £4m award to chief executive Michael Geoghegan, who is donating his to charity.

It is not known whether Gulliver, traditionally understood to be the highest earner at HSBC in recent years before his compensation details were published following his elevation to the board, will follow suit and hand this year's bonuses to charity.